Improvement in hunting-lamps



JAMES T. STAPLES.

Hunting Lamp.

No. 125,150. PatentedApril2,1872.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()rrron.

JAMES T. STAPLES, OF BLADON SPRINGS, ALABAMA.

IMPROVEMENT lN' HUNTING-LAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,150, dated April 2, 1872-.

Be it known to whom it may concern:

That I, JAMES T. STAPLES, of Bladon Springs, Choctaw county, and State of Alabama, have invented a new, useful, and Improved HuntingLamp; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the drawing hereto annexed, constituting a part of said specification.

My improvement relates to a reflectin ghunting-lamp, which is designed to be used by persons hunting game at night, and to be used in connection with a supportingframe or handle, by which the same may be conveniently sus pended behind and upon either shoulder of the hunter, and by which cords, for regulatin g the reflector, may be made to connect with the forward end of the said handle and the reflector behind the lamp. The especial object attained by my improvement is to enable hunters to see game at a considerable distance from them in a dark night, when it is well known that such game as deer, as well as many other animals, are feeding and moving about in the woods or other feedinggrounds, while they lie quietly during the daytime, and, to be easily found, have to be aroused from their hiding places by the use of dogs.

The improvements embraced in my invention are exceedingly simple and economical, as will be more clearly understood by reference to the drawing, whereon it is exhibited in perspective, with a portion of the same broken away to expose to view certain parts thereof.

A represents a lamp, which may be of ordinary construction. Almost any common lamp provided with a glass chimney will answer the purpose; B is the frame or handle, by which the said lamp A may be sustained upon the shoulder of the hunter and to the rear of his head. 0 shows the reflector, by which the light from the lamp may be thrown forward of the hunter, and concentrated in a focus at a distance from the said hunter limited only by the power of the lamp and the size of the said reflector. At one side of the forward end of the handle or frame B is inserted a thumb-key, a, from which the cord 1) passes to and around the small sheave c, and by which means the hunter can operate the wick of the lamp to lower or elevate it, at his pleasure. Upon the opposite side of the handle A is likewise placed another key, (I, that operates the cord 0, which passes through the sheaves f f and g g to the frame h at the rear of the reflector, but con nected therewith and by which means the said reflector may be changed in its angle of horizontal position so as to throw the focus of light reflected by it throughout a circuit of many degrees in advance of the hunter, without the necessity of his perceptibly changing his position or that of the gun which he is carrying.

The focus of light thrown forward may be raised or lowered simply by raising or depressing the end of the handle or frame A, as will be clearly understood without further explanation.

A small pocket-compass may be placed upon the forward part of the handle A, at any con venient place, whereby the hunter may be the better enabled to proceed in any required direction in the darkest night, either on land or in a boat on water.

Among the great advantages gained by the use of my lamp over that of any other hitherto invented or used for the purposes herein set forth, may be mentioned the fact that the entire body of the animal upon which the light may be thrown is rendered distinctly visible, which is not the case with the open unreflected light, so commonly used at night by hunters at the present time. With these lights or torchlights hunters are enabled to see only the eyes of the animal, but are unable to distinguish its character; and from this cause many serious accidents have occurred by hunters shooting the wrong animals.

.Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following claim:

The hunting-lamp, constructed as herein described, and consisting of supporting-frame B, lamp A with cord 1), sheave c, and thumb-key a, the reflector G with cord 0, thumb-key d, sheaves ff and g g, and frame h, for the purposes specified.

- JAMES T. STAPLES.

WVitnesses:

H. N. JENKINS, L. J. OLMSTEAJ). 

